Heuchera plant named ‘TNHEU042’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant substantially as shown and described, characterized by lime green foliage, light pink flowers, and good vigor.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrida.

Variety designation: ‘TNHEU042’.

Cross reference to: Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 10/871,417), a sibling.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucherahybrida and given the cultivar name of ‘TNHEU042’. Heuchera is in thefamily Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘TNHEU042’ originated from a crossbetween Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,348), as the seedparent, and Heuchera ‘Huntsman’, an unpatented plant, as the pollenparent. Given its ornamental foliage and flower form it is probable thatHeuchera micrantha, H. americana, H. brizoides, and H. sanguinea are inits parentage.

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Lime green leaves summer through winter.    -   2. Chartreuse spring foliage.    -   3. Small light pink flowers.    -   4. Excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a two year old Heuchera ‘TNHEU042’ in bloom, growing in theground in the shade house in late spring in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows Heuchera ‘TNHEU042’ in a one gallon container in the shadehouse in the fall in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivarbased on observations of a two-year-old specimen grown in the ground inan open air shade house with 50% shade cover and added irrigation in thesummer months in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map.Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an averageof 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches peryear. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart.

-   Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrida.-   Variety designation: ‘TNHEU042’.-   Parentage: Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,348 (seed    parent)×Heuchera ‘Huntsman’ (pollen parent).-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—20 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and            35 cm wide.        -   Habit.—Mounding.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color.            Roots develop easily from cuttings.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Rosette.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Lobing/division.—3 main shallow lobes, with 2 to 3 shallow            secondary lobes.        -   Venation.—Palmate.        -   Margins.—Crenate and incised.        -   Apex.—Mucronulate.        -   Base.—Cordate, lobes overlapping at the base.        -   Blade size.—5 to 7 cm long and 5 to 7.5 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—Sparsely glandular both sides.        -   Texture.—Thin, leathery.        -   Petiole size.—11 to 16 cm long and 1.5 mm wide.        -   Petiole surface texture.—Glandular hairs of various sizes.        -   Petiole color.—Yellow Green 145B.        -   Leaf color.—Spring newest growth, abaxial — Yellow 9A.            Spring adaxial — Yellow Orange 14D. Summer, fall abaxial —            Lime, Yellow 7D to between Yellow Green 145A and 151A.            Winter abaxial — Lime, Yellow Green 144A, with red veins,            Greyed Red 183A, and tan margins, Greyed Yellow 161A. Summer            through winter adaxial — Yellow Green 151A to 145A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Size.—6 to 9 cm wide and 17 to 28 cm long.        -   Type.—Thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—83 to 110 per thyrse.        -   Number of thyrse.—41 in spring bloom.        -   Peduncle.—40 to 63 cm tall, 3 mm wide at base, Yellow Green            151A, glandular hairs, with 3 to 4 petiolate cauline leaves            (ovate, blades 2 to 5 cm long and 1 to 4 cm wide with a            lobed and incised margin).        -   Pedicel.—Variable in size, with glandular hairs, Greyed            Orange 163A to 174A.        -   Bloom period.—Late May to June in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—2.5 mm wide and 5 mm long.        -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid.        -   Color.—Red Purple 62A at the tip and Greyed Yellow 160B at            the base.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Perfect, zygomorphic.        -   Shape.—Campanulate.        -   Size.—3 mm long and 3 mm wide.        -   Petal description.—5 in number, inconspicuous, 3.5 mm long,            spatulate with a clawed base, reflexes slightly, tip acute,            margin entire, White 155D on both sides.        -   Calyx description.—5 lobes, divided ⅓ way to the base, with            glandular hairs, tip acute, margin entire, 4 mm long and 3            mm wide, Greyed Red 182C on both sides.        -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments White 155B,            anther color is Orange 28B, pollen color is Orange 25C.        -   Pistil description.—White 155B overall, 2.5 mm long.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.        -   Size.—3 mm deep by 2 mm wide.        -   Fertility.—Good.        -   Color.—Brown 200D.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—Linear.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black, RHS 202A.-   Disease and pest tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery    mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. All Heuchera are susceptible    to root weevils.

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR HEUCHERA

Compared to its sibling, Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 10/871,417), this new variety has light pinkflowers, rather than white, and leaves that are not ruffled, rather thanruffled.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’, the new variety hasleaves that are lime green and unruffled rather than amber colored andruffled. The new variety is also more vigorous and has light pink ratherthan creamy white flowers.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera ‘Huntsman’, the new variety hasleaves that are lime green overall rather than green with reddishcenters and a light veil. Both have pinkish colored flowers.

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.